


What A Way To Start The New Year

by grandpajumpersandeyelashes



Category: In the Flesh (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, New Years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-31
Updated: 2014-12-31
Packaged: 2018-03-04 12:19:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3067619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grandpajumpersandeyelashes/pseuds/grandpajumpersandeyelashes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's New Years Eve in Roarton, as Rick and Kieren meet in the den to celebrate together over a bottle of White Lightning.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What A Way To Start The New Year

Static filled the den as Rick tried to get his new battery operated radio to work. He was cursing under his breath as Kieren chuckled next to him, taking a swig of the White Lightning Rick had snatched off of his dad for them that night.

“You get it to work then, smart arse.” Rick grumbled, taking the alcohol from Kieren and taking a drink of his own straight from the bottle.

“I was the one who told you the bloody thing wouldn’t work in here, Rick.” Kieren laughed, reclaiming the bottle. “We’re surrounded by rock and reception is shit enough in the middle of the village, much less out here.”

Rick sighed. “Just wanted to hear the countdown...” he told him.

“Well...” Kieren smiled, pulling out the mp3 player he had gotten for Christmas out of his pocket. “I mean, we can’t really see the seconds count down, but we can watch until it changes.” he suggested, not knowing anything else they really could do.

Rick shrugged, eventually nodding. “What time is it, anyways?” he asked as he shut off the radio, giving up on any hope of it working in the den.

Kieren turned on the screen. “It’s 11:11.” Kieren told him.

“Make a wish.” Rick smiled, closing his eyes for a moment.

Kieren laughed quietly at his friend until he reopened his eyes, his wish apparently sufficiently thought out. “You know that wish shit is rubbish, right?” Kieren asked him, eying him like he was a little crazy.

Rick shrugged, “Never know if it could work one of these days.” he defended himself. “I’ll believe in whatever I want to believe in, you believe what you want to believe.”

Kieren nodded in response, offering the bottle they had been passing to Rick. Rick took a couple of swigs before again offering it to Kieren who shook his head. Rick replaced the cap of the bottle, setting it aside. When he turned back towards Kieren he couldn’t help but smile fondly as he watching him absentmindedly tracing shapes onto the material of his jeans as he sat cross legged on the cave floor.

“Got some of that awful shit you and Jem call music we could listen to to pass the time?” Rick teased, smiling at Kieren.

“I’ve got the playlist you like on here already.” Kieren admitted a bit shyly. Was it too strange to have a playlist on there-the only playlist he had remade on this new music player-to be for Rick and not even himself?

Rick looked at him curiously. “You’ve still got the one from the CD my dad busted up?” he asked, a small smile on his face. Kieren blushed slightly as he nodded, most of the rosiness of his cheeks lost in the flickering lights of the candles that they placed throughout the den. “That’d be good, if you’re alright with it.”

Kieren again nodded, getting to the right part of his music and pressing play. Rick’s favorite song came on, making Kieren laugh as he watched him dance goofily in place, air drumming his way through the intro. He sang the first two lines loudly before falling into a fit of laughter, his head coming to rest on Kieren’s shoulder as he tried to recompose himself for the chorus.

Kieren smiled fondly at his friend, knowing that any other fifteen (almost sixteen, as he would add) year old boy would tell his mate to shove off and laugh, but he didn’t want to make Rick move. He was just happy to see him happy, without so much reservation. As much as Kieren disliked it, he knew that if he got a little bit of alcohol in Rick’s system, Bill’s cruel words would fade a bit and he would have his old friend from back when they were kids back. He knew Rick wasn’t anywhere near drunk, just a bit buzzed, so that help ease some of the guilt.

A few songs later when Kieren checked the time to find it was only 11:38, Rick sighed, his head again falling onto Kieren’s shoulder. “Ren, we’ve got to do something else, otherwise I’m going to fall asleep before it’s even next year.” Rick complained.

Kieren smiled, shifting his position a bit. “Alright, what do you want to do?”

Rick thought for a moment. “Truth or dare?” he suggested.

Kieren half laughed for a brief moment. “With two people?” he asked. When Rick nodded, he only shrugged. “Fine, but I get to start. Truth or dare?”

Rick thought for a moment. “Hmmm... dare.” he told him.

“I dare you to...” Kieren thought, looking around for some sort of an idea. Eventually he shook his head. “I don’t know, eat some snow from outside or something.” Kieren told him, unable to think of anything. Rick knew he was awful at this game to begin with, not to mention how much he hated it.

Rick stood, chuckling. “Eat some snow or something...” he mocked, grabbing a bit and putting it on his tongue. “Damn, Ren, you give the hardest dares ever, you know.”

“Fuck off.” Kieren laughed, pushing Rick as he rejoined him on the cave floor.

Rick only smirked. “Your turn. Truth or dare, Ren?” Rick challenged, a smug look on his face.

“Truth. You’re a real arse when I say dare.” Kieren laughed.

Rick gasped exaggeratedly. “I cannot believe you just said that, Ren!” he joked. “Just for that, the question you always avoid. Who do you like? And don’t say no one, ‘cause I know that’s not true. No way it is.”

“Rick...” Kieren complained, rolling his eyes. “Why does it matter so much?” he asked. Rick only shrugged. “It’s personal...” Kieren whined.

Rick looked at his friend curiously. “Since when do we keep anything from each other, Ren?” he asked. Well, the couple of things he didn’t tell Kieren didn’t count, because those could potentially, or in Rick’s eyes, would most certainly ruin their friendship.

Kieren bit his lip. “Promise you won’t be mad or anything? And you won’t tell anyone?” he asked.

“Cross my heart.” Rick smiled, looking at his friend expectantly.

Kieren was looking down, trying to find the courage to speak. Words were jumbling up in his mind and any semi-coherent thought he had was quickly lost as they caught in his throat, choking him in his own anxiety. He made a few strange throaty sounds before clearing his throat. “I don’t just like girls!” he blurted just as Rick was going to ask if he was alright.

Rick cocked his head, unsure if he had heard his friend right. “Ren, did you just say...” Rick started. “Ren, are you... Are you gay?” he asked the red faced boy next to him who wouldn’t meet his gaze, no matter how gently he spoke.

“Yes... No... I don’t know... I just...” Kieren buried his face in his knees as he drew them up towards his chest, a silent sob shaking his body. Rick reached out, rubbing his back softly, hating to see Kieren like that. After composing himself, Kieren swallowed and spoke in a strained voice. “I like both, Rick. I just... I thought I only liked girls, but then I started liking a guy, and... I still like girls, but...” he sighed, exasperated and emotionally distraught.

“S’all right, Ren. Doesn’t matter to me.” Rick told him. When Kieren’s massive brown eyes finally met his, he gave him a reassuring smile. “So, who is this guy that you like, then?” he asked gently.

“Please don’t make me say it...” Kieren implored. Rick nodded, agreeing to let him drop the subject. “Thank you. You know, for being alright with it and everything.” Kieren eventually told him.

“‘Course, Ren. You’re my best mate. What else am I supposed to do?” Rick told him sincerely. He momentarily silenced the nagging voices in his head by again removing the cover of the White Lightning and putting the bottle to his lips. He offered some to Kieren as well, who took a smaller amount before handing it back. “What time is it?” Rick asked when it remained quiet.

Kieren turned the screen towards Rick, revealing it was ten minutes until midnight. He nodded before he again fell silent. It was weird, even after a confession like that, it was rarely an uncomfortable silence between Rick and Kieren. Both of them were content just to sit there, listening to the music leaking from Kieren’s mp3, legs almost touching but not quite, Rick’s elbow lightly resting on Kieren’s forearm as if he didn’t notice the touch. He didn’t really care, at that point, more than happy to just be there with Kieren, with the only person he felt truly happy around.

“Suppose it’s getting close now, yeah?” Rick asked after a few songs played.

Kieren watched the screen intently. “One minute.” He declared once the digits changed to reveal that it was 11:59.

Rick silently counted in his head down from sixty. He was sure he was off, but at that point he didn’t care. He was trying to psych himself up to actually do something when the clock turned midnight. He reached one in his head, but the clock hadn’t yet changed on Kieren’s mp3 which he was watching, apparently satisfied knowing after the fact once the time changed that they were in a new year. Rick didn’t care, he had actually found the courage to do something.

He leaned towards Kieren, who only had a split second to give him a slightly startled but mostly confused face before his lips were pressed to his. Kieren made a surprised noise in the back of his throat, which Rick mistook for wanting him to stop, so he started to draw away. Before their lips completely came apart, Kieren had wrapped his hands around Rick’s neck, pulling him back towards him as they each clumsily kissed the other.

They parted lips, a little sooner than either of them would have liked, but longer than Rick had expected for someone as incredible as Kieren to ever want to kiss him. A smile was on each of their faces as they looked each other in the eye, catching their breaths.

“That’s the answer to your question...” Kieren eventually told him quietly, an endearing blush on his cheeks.

Rick nudged him gently, making him look towards him. “And just so you know... Wishes do come true.” he smiled, reaching out to reveal that it was 12:01. “Happy New Year, Ren.”

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so the 11:11 thing, I don't know how many people are familiar with that, it was something one of my friends told me a few years ago that his dad had always told him, and I don't know why but it's stuck since. I like to imagine Rick as being this person who is always looking for something to give him hope that things will get better, which is why I made him believe in the superstition and not Kieren who is a bit of a realist, and going through a punk phase and everything where he's probably thinking he's above that or whatever (not dissing punk stuff, I am pop-punk trash myself, but just saying where my mindset was in that). Either way, I hope you enjoy and you all have a great new year! Thanks for reading!


End file.
